Thursday, August 21, 2008

Disasters are costing Asia 3 percent of GDP per year

Himalayan Times: With almost all SAARC countries grappling with natural disasters, participants at the SAARC workshop on 'Climate Change and Disaster: Emerging Trends and Future Strategies' here on Thursday laid emphasis on increasing regional cooperation to fighting against climate change and disaster.

SAARC secretary-general Dr Sheel Kanta Sharma said climate change was a cross-regional issue that threatened the region….The SAARC nations are vulnerable to floods, outburst of glacial lakes in Himalayas, cyclones, drought due to climate change coupled with water and food shortage, rise in the sea level, migration, deterioration of health and loss of biodiversity.

"Although we share burdens on emitting green house gases topographically, risk of climate change is higher in the region," said secretary at the Home Ministry Umesh Prasad Mainali. "Intensity and magnitude of natural disasters has been increasing in the region every year with multiple impacts on development process and bio-diversity, he said, citing recent cases of melting Himalayas, tsunamis and floods in the region. Failure to prevent the impact of climate change means the region would face more poverty and other long-term problems, Mainali said. "Innovative moves, scientific approaches and broad-based collaboration across the region are needed to make the region a safer place to live."….

Stating that consensus on specific interventions is needed to reduce disaster risks, director of the Disaster Management Centre (SDMC) PG Dhar Chakrabarti said the region was losing 3 per cent of GDP annually due to disaster. He said the workshop would highlight ongoing efforts on climatic change adaptation and disaster-risk reduction strategies, regional cooperation and roadmaps on strengthening the regional capacity…..

June 2009 – At the studios of Cleanskies TV, I was interviewed about the costs of climate change, and discussed adaptation efforts underway in the US and around the world.

May 2009 – I helped draft the scenarios for Rising Waters, a multistakeholder scenarios effort focused on climate change adaptation in the Hudson Valley. The final report is now completed and available here.

May 2008 – I reviewed two books on climate and energy in the New Leader magazine: James Gustave Speth's The Bridge at the Edge of the World: Capitalism, the Environment and Crossing from Crisis to Sustainability, plus Robert Bryce's Gusher of Lies: The Dangerous Delusions of Energy Independence.

January 2008 – A very local paper covers a very global issue.... The Litchfield County Times in northwestern Connectictut ran an article in January 2008 about Carbon-Based.

Now available: Climate Change Adaptation in 2011

A selection of my writings from 2011, plus some of my posts, as well as links... all focusing on the risks of climate change